Side Story Chapter 7

Taeheon twisted his lips into a smirk. The cynical grin sent a cold shiver down Serin’s spine.

Why on earth was Yaein’s husband in Serin’s living room?

Taeheon and Serin had never met without Yaein present. Even though they’d once been linked as in-laws and had some regular contact, this—him showing up at her place—was completely out of the ordinary.

“I heard you went to see Yaein,” Taeheon spoke again.

A different chill crept over Serin.

He knows everything.

Yaein must’ve told him already. And she had barely left that house a few hours ago.

“I only went to ask if she could help me with an upcoming exhibition,” Serin replied firmly.

She even entertained a fleeting hope that maybe, just maybe, Taeheon might be willing to help her instead. You never know. Tilting her chin slightly, she angled her face toward him.

“Ah, I see,” Taeheon responded flatly, without even glancing at her.

Instead of giving Serin his attention, he reached a hand toward the subordinate standing behind him.

“Hyungseok, light.”

His subordinate, catching on belatedly, fumbled through his pockets and handed over a lighter. Taeheon toyed with the metal Zippo, flicking it open and shut.

What the hell is this?

Serin swallowed hard. She could tell something was off. But she couldn’t figure out why he was here, what his intentions were.

“Why don’t you sit?” Taeheon gestured toward her. The way he beckoned—like calling a dog—was utterly disrespectful.

“Standing there like that makes it feel like I’m the owner of this place,” he added casually.

And it did.

Serin felt like the guest. Taeheon exuded the authority of someone who belonged there.

She walked into the room, unaware that she was already following his every word. The place felt even more cramped now, as if Taeheon’s presence alone was shrinking the walls.

When she moved to sit, she realized Taeheon was already occupying her only chair. Thinking to fetch a folding stool from outside, she turned to leave—but one of the men standing beside Taeheon shut the door.

*Clack.* The sound of the door closing pierced the back of her neck like a needle.

“What is this?” she barked, trying to mask her fear with irritation. “Are you threatening me? Just walking into my house like this?”

She couldn’t bring herself to meet Taeheon’s eyes, so she directed her outburst at the man blocking her path. The man, with a blunt expression, didn’t even acknowledge her presence.

“Isn’t it Ms. Lee Serin who’s been coming and going into people’s homes uninvited?” came Taeheon’s voice from behind, calm and unhurried.

There was no profanity in his tone, but it felt like icy fingers tightening around the back of her neck.

The man in front stepped toward her. It was only a small movement, but Serin recoiled in shock, stumbling backward.

Just as she was about to fall, someone grabbed her arm—not harshly, but the sense of threat froze her in place.

“You’re still walking around free, Ms. Lee Serin, not because you’re innocent. And not because we decided to let you go, either.”

Taeheon spoke quietly.

Serin still couldn’t make sense of what he was trying to say. She licked her lips nervously.

Was he trying to imply that the only reason she hadn’t gone through the same humiliating detention process as her parents was because of his mercy?

If that were true, maybe he wanted something from her. Or maybe… maybe he wanted her. Serin’s thoughts began to spiral.

“I just left you to rot alone because you’re the kind of person who can’t do anything without your parents,” Taeheon said coldly, mocking her expectations.

Now she understood why Yaein had looked down on her. Her husband was like this—no wonder Yaein had followed suit. The two of them had ganged up to humiliate her.

It reminded her of the time she was doused in cold wine. That same sickening humiliation.

She snapped.

Serin had never been able to stand people who crossed her, even when she was a child.

Her nasty temper momentarily overpowered her reason.

“What? What did you just say, you psycho thug bastard?”

As soon as she hurled the insult, all the previously expressionless men around Taeheon turned their gazes toward her.

The sheer pressure made Serin clamp her mouth shut. Her stomach twisted, threatening to bring everything back up.

Her toes curled inside her stockings. Her skin tingled with tension.

“I found out you’re in debt,” Taeheon continued, unaffected by her words. “Must’ve really wanted to spend money if you were willing to borrow from actual thugs.”

“I borrowed it to fund my exhibition!” she shouted back.

One of the men behind Taeheon smirked. ‘Is he laughing at me?’ The fury boiled up, but this time, Serin couldn’t speak. Their stares were still menacing.

Cold sweat soaked her back.

Something was wrong. Nothing was going her way.

Serin wasn’t exactly known for her brains, but this time, she could sense it—something was terribly off.

“I just thought it was time that debt got paid,” Taeheon said calmly.

Hearing the word debt made her more anxious.

She’d never intended to borrow a large amount. The problem was the people she went after—those so-called suckers who’d ended up suing her.

The legal fees never seemed to end. And she hadn’t been able to cut back on her spending. She figured she’d borrow just enough and pay it back once she sold a painting or two.

“I’ll just sell the pieces once they’re up in the gallery…” she muttered.

Taeheon sneered.

Who, exactly, was going to buy them? Serin had never understood that the only reason her artwork had sold for anything was because of her mother and the foundation’s influence. She only remembered the high price tags—not the reason behind them.

Her childish grasp of money disgusted him. Even without his intervention, she would’ve dug her own grave eventually.

He’d only been watching to see how deep she could go.

But once she went after Yaein again, the time for silent observation ended. Honestly, it would’ve been easier on Serin if she had just tripped over her own feet.

“There’s still time left before the due date,” Serin said, glancing anxiously at Taeheon’s silent face. The person she borrowed from was someone introduced by a friend, who had promised to go easy on her because of her family name.

“No. There’s no time left,” Taeheon said.

The room went still.

At that exact moment, Serin’s phone shrieked.

It was as if Taeheon had cast some kind of wicked spell.

It was her usual ringtone, but it grated on her ears like nails on a chalkboard. She couldn’t bear to let it ring out.

She answered, almost in a trance.

As soon as the call connected, the voice on the other end launched into a rapid-fire rant. There was no mention of any leniency or patience.

The longer she listened, the more her face drained of color. She didn’t even have time to respond before the call ended.

The voice on the other end had essentially delivered a verdict: they were coming for her.

“I was going to tell you not to go near my wife again,” Taeheon said, “but I don’t think you’ll have time for that now.”

“W-Was it Yaein? Did she say she was upset because of me? I—I’ll apologize to her!”

“No. That won’t be necessary.”

Serin tried to approach Taeheon, but one of his men stopped her.

“No need for an apology,” Taeheon said, without even looking at her, rising from his seat.

“You should start packing. You won’t be living here after today.”

“…What did you say?”

“The landlord will probably explain everything soon. I heard you’ve been behind on rent payments too. You’ve got a lot of stuff for a place this small—some of it might actually fetch a decent price if you sell it.”

Once again, Serin couldn’t quite keep up with what Taeheon was saying. But one thing she could sense with certainty: a crisis far more immediate than anything before was opening its jaws right in front of her. It felt like the hot breath of a monster brushing her skin.

The door that had refused to open earlier suddenly swung wide the moment Taeheon approached it.

Serin hurried to follow him, desperate to change his mind. Taeheon was the only one who could reverse this situation.

Though there was barely a step between them, she couldn’t seem to catch up. By the time her hand managed to grab the hem of his coat, they were already at the shoe rack by the door.

Through the open entrance, Serin saw her creditors standing outside, phones raised—one of them holding the very phone that had just called her.

She scrambled to shut the door, but it was too late. Taeheon, standing behind her, gently nudged her forward.

Serin stumbled and fell out the door.

Taeheon stepped past her without a glance. Her shriek of fury echoed behind him, but he found it amusing.

Unlike Yaein, Serin would not walk away unharmed.

She would crash and burn at the bottom.

Taeheon’s steps were light. He was going home—to the place where his wife waited.

***

“Welcome home,” Yaein greeted him with a bright smile.

“You’re a little late today.”

“Yeah, something came up,” Taeheon replied, leaning in to kiss her as he took off his coat.

“Something sudden? Must’ve been hectic.”

“Not really. Nothing big. It’s all taken care of.”

He gave a simple summary of what had happened with Serin.

“How about you? Everything okay today?”

“Sister came by,” Yaein said without hesitation.

“It wasn’t anything serious, so don’t worry. She just showed up and left.”

“I know.”

“…How do you know?”

“I met your sister too.”

“Serin came to you?”

“No, I went to her.”

Hearing this unexpected response, Yaein’s brows furrowed.

“Nothing happened, right?”

“Nothing happened to me,” Taeheon said casually. “But if you ever feel like turning your sister into dog food, just say the word.”

Yaein was still frowning, and Taeheon decided not to say more.

She didn’t need to know the details of what happened or what was going to happen. Maybe she’d learn parts of it eventually, but for now, it wasn’t necessary. It wasn’t even worth knowing.

“Anything else happen today?” he asked.

“Yes,” Yaein replied, causing Taeheon to pause as he was heading to the bathroom.

His assistant had only reported Serin’s visit. Did he miss something?

Yaein lifted her phone with a smile.

“Look at this—Saejun’s going to start walking any day now.”